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Big NE of England town latest to reign-in HMO numbers

Big NE of England town latest to reign-in HMO numbers

News

Darlington looks set to be the latest council bringing in tougher rules to control the growth of small HMOs.

Minister explains why pet damage insurance 'not needed'

Minister explains why pet damage insurance 'not needed'

News

Minister explains why pet damage insurance will not be mandated, and says current deposit of five weeks 'enough'.

Criminal gang jailed for running cannabis farms across UK

Criminal gang jailed for running cannabis farms across UK

News

A gang of cannabis farm operators, drug dealers and people smugglers have been jailed.

Big NW town latest to clamp down on HMO growth

Big NW town latest to clamp down on HMO growth

News

Wigan council says rise in number of smaller HMOs within its borders means new powers to scrutinise new applications are needed.

Flipping now 'tricky' as higher taxes and lower price rises bite

Flipping now 'tricky' as higher taxes and lower price rises bite

News

The practice of property flipping to make a profit is under serious threat from both higher tax and lower house price rises.

OPINION: Awaab’s Law is coming – be warned, it has serious implications for you!

OPINION: Awaab’s Law is coming – be warned, it has serious implications for you!

Opinion

Awaab’s Law: What it means for private landlords and the future of property standards

MPs in race to pass rental reforms before recess

MPs in race to pass rental reforms before recess

News

The Renters' Rights Bill now looks more likely to be passed before the summer recess.

London council hikes HMO licensing fees

London council hikes HMO licensing fees

News

HMO landlords face paying out £1,570 for a licence when Camden Council renews its additional scheme in December.

England to get its own 'rent service' says housing minister

England to get its own 'rent service' says housing minister

News

A new body will help decide rents in a bid to prevent over-loading the tribunal service with rent disputes.

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

News

A landlord has been found guilty of illegally letting two ‘party flats’ after neighbours complained about excessive noise.

Tenant piles pressure on Labour to adopt rent controls

Tenant piles pressure on Labour to adopt rent controls

News

Lobbying group says tenant Bridget Chapman's experiences of a sudden rent rise is proof controls are needed.

Minister gifts solicitors £20m pay rise to help tenants fight evictions

Minister gifts solicitors £20m pay rise to help tenants fight evictions

News

The Government has increased its support for tenants who face eviction as its looming reforms bring in greater rights for private

Landlord fined £10,000 after ignoring requests to license property

Landlord fined £10,000 after ignoring requests to license property

News

A landlord who thought he could ignore council warnings over his property has been fined £10,000.

LATEST: New Decent Homes Standard consultation launched

LATEST: New Decent Homes Standard consultation launched

News

Labour has revealed more details of the new minimum standards private landlords will have to meet.

Campaign launched to reverse 'bonkers' pet insurance decision

Campaign launched to reverse 'bonkers' pet insurance decision

News

AdvoCATS has launched initiative after Labour decided inexplicably not to allow landlords to require tenants to take out pet insurance.

Labour 'not listening to sense' on renting reforms says peer

Labour 'not listening to sense' on renting reforms says peer

News

Lord Hacking tells housing minister Government is 'plain wrong' in its insistence on banning fixed-term tenancies.

Decent Homes Standard for private rented sector 'soon' says Labour

Decent Homes Standard for private rented sector 'soon' says Labour

News

Government reveals it is about to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard that will apply to private as well as social landlords.

Minister refuses to budge on ending 'tenancies in advance' for students

Minister refuses to budge on ending 'tenancies in advance' for students

News

Housing minister says asking students to commit before Christmas to a tenancy the next year is unfair.

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LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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The government is expecting to spend and eye-watering �30 billion on housing benefit for tenants this year, DWP minister Will Quince has told parliament. This figure is �8-10 billion more than the Office for Budget Responsibility https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Half of all tenants who want to rent a home with their pet would be prepared to take out specialist insurance to cover their landlord against damage, a leading campaigner has revealed. Jennifer Berezai of AdvoCATS has researched an in-depth report into whether there is an appeti

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Legislation has been passed in Wales that extends the amount of notice landlords must give to their tenants, from the two month s21 period, to six months. The Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill means (because notice cannot be served within the initial term) that the minimum

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

One of Britains biggest private landlords is encouraging others to follow his lead by shifting property from their own name into a company structure. In what is thought to be the countrys largest ever mortgage transaction, Alastair Kerr (pictured) has transferred ownership

Regaining possession of a commercial property

Regaining possession of a commercial property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlords of commercial premises may consider it necessary to bring the lease to an end or to refuse to renew a lease. This course of action might be for a number of reasons: A tenant for example might not have a statutory right to a lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, the

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The big changes are in the submission frequency and digital submission process. Firstly, you will need to complete not one but five tax submissions per year � one every quar

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlords have been warned not to expect a grace period or extension to the deadline for properties to confirm to the new electrical safety standards. Originally, an https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guid

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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The average UK house price could surge by 17% in the next decade, based on historical data from the past 40 years, and is set to reach �400,000 by 2050. Property buying firm Good Move has studied house prices in the UK since 1980 to predict what the market might look like in th

Cleaning is still the biggest cause of deposit disputes

Cleaning is still the biggest cause of deposit disputes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

What is a clean and tidy house to some is and unacceptably dirty mess to others; people have different standards and this will never change. Alternatively, some tenants are just too lazy to leave the place clean and tidy: dirty carpets and furniture, filthy bathrooms and toilets, and kitchen work

NRLA backs platform that helps landlords move to limited company status

NRLA backs platform that helps landlords move to limited company status

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Private landlords considering a move to limited company ownership of their rented properties are being urged by the NRLA to use its latest partner service.

Landlord fined £8,471 over hazardous HMO wiring

Landlord fined £8,471 over hazardous HMO wiring

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlord fined £8,471 for renting unsafe HMO with dangerous wiring, no fire safety, and serious structural issues.

Fake tenancies at heart of Bulgarian's gang's £53m scam

Fake tenancies at heart of Bulgarian's gang's £53m scam

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Five fraudsters who stole £53.9 million in a huge benefits scam used false tenancy agreements to help them make claims.

Councils lobby Ministers not to scrap selective licencing schemes

Councils lobby Ministers not to scrap selective licencing schemes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged Minister to ignore rebel MPs’ calls for selective licencing to be replaced by the looming Landlord Portal.

TWO new reports reveal weakening supply of rented property

TWO new reports reveal weakening supply of rented property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The number of landlords instructing agents to rent properties has declined for a second quarter in a row, fuelling ongoing worries that the Government’s ‘anti-buy-to-let’ mood music is disrupting the market.

'Ignorance of law no excuse' as landlord repays tenants £10,500

'Ignorance of law no excuse' as landlord repays tenants £10,500

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A landlord who blamed her agent and tenants for not telling her about a selective licensing scheme has been hit with a £10,572 rent repayment order.

Tax shock for furnished holiday let owners – how to react while there’s still time

Tax shock for furnished holiday let owners – how to react while there’s still time

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

If you are involved with Furnished Holiday Lets you are probably be aware by now that there are far reaching tax changes coming - what to do about them?

Record fines for London landlords push total to £10 million

Record fines for London landlords push total to £10 million

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Total fines for London’s rogue landlords and agents have topped £10 million since the rogue landlord database launched in 2017.

Big money to spend £17 billion in South and Midlands building rental houses

Big money to spend £17 billion in South and Midlands building rental houses

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Private landlords face a significant increase in competition from corporate operators within the rented sector as investors reveal a £17 billion, 60,000-home building programme concentrated on the South and Midlands.

Court costs for landlords 'will keep on rising' predicts lawyer

Court costs for landlords 'will keep on rising' predicts lawyer

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

It’s almost inevitable that court fees will have to rise considerably, and probably sooner than 2025/6 unless alternative funding is added direct from the Treasury, according to property lawyer David Smith.

Accreditation key to tenant confidence

Accreditation key to tenant confidence

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Accreditation boosts tenant trust—discover how landlord schemes strengthen letting confidence.

Sadiq Khan vows to 'hold landlords to account' as re-election looms

Sadiq Khan vows to 'hold landlords to account' as re-election looms

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

London mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to build 6,000 new ‘rent control’ homes across London if he’s elected for a third term in next month’s election.

London council goes live with bigger selective licencing scheme

London council goes live with bigger selective licencing scheme

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Redbridge Council has gone live with its big new selective licencing scheme that applies to most private rented properties in 15 of the London borough’s wards.

New visa rules for foreigners 'not damaging student housing market'

New visa rules for foreigners 'not damaging student housing market'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Unite Students is poised to report rental income growth of at least 6% due to sustained demand, despite new visa rules affecting international students.

Wales to follow England's landlord stamp duty reliefs withdrawal

Wales to follow England's landlord stamp duty reliefs withdrawal

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlords and property investors who buy privately-held multi-property portfolios in Wales are to lose another tax perk.

Why is Government making investing in PRS more difficult, asks leading landlord

Why is Government making investing in PRS more difficult, asks leading landlord

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

A leading landlord in the SW has slammed the Government’s ongoing assault on the private rented sector, saying the efforts of Michael Gove and his predecessors puzzle ‘honourable and decent’ operators like him.

WARNING: Hunt's tax changes will hit landlords AND renters

WARNING: Hunt's tax changes will hit landlords AND renters

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Changes to income and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that came in over the weekend could mean reduced investment in the PRS and insurance premiums, warns an insurance expert.

TV star reveals London training day for landlords

TV star reveals London training day for landlords

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Paul Shamplina has assembled a panel of experts to run a training day this summer that will advise and coach landlords to navigate the tough economic and regulatory environment facing the privately rented sector.

ENERGY CAP: How much badly-insulated homes will cost tenants

ENERGY CAP: How much badly-insulated homes will cost tenants

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

Poorly insulated homes will be sent annual gas bills about £340 – around 50% - higher than those with a C-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) under Ofgem’s latest price cap, new research has found.

Is the staycation-fuelled holiday lets bubble bursting?

Is the staycation-fuelled holiday lets bubble bursting?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Holiday let owners are facing a significant dip in bookings this year as the sector feels the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, poor weather and an increasingly saturated market.

The dominoes may slowly fall as we head towards a distressed commercial market

The dominoes may slowly fall as we head towards a distressed commercial market

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The UK’s commercial property sector is experiencing challenges: high interest rates, inflation, lower property values, and liquidity problems for lenders and borrowers.

'Rent repayment orders being used beyond their original purpose'

'Rent repayment orders being used beyond their original purpose'

News
News
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Opinion
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Some build-to-rent developments are increasingly falling foul of Rent Repayment Order (RRO) legislation, in a move away from its original aim to tackle poor HMOs, it has been claimed.

Thinktank battles landlords over evictions ban claims

Thinktank battles landlords over evictions ban claims

News
News
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Opinion
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The Social Market Foundation has argued that fears about stricter regulations reducing the supply of rental properties are ‘overblown’.

Tenant's jaw dropping makeover listed after pop star's campaign

Tenant's jaw dropping makeover listed after pop star's campaign

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News
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Information

A rented house which was transformed into a highly ornate classical ‘villa’ by its former tenant has been granted a Grade II listing.

Greens launch manifesto promising 'immediate rent freeze'

Greens launch manifesto promising 'immediate rent freeze'

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News
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The Green Party is unlikely to win many votes from landlords after launching its manifesto ahead of a General Election later this year and the May 2nd local elections.